Treaty 6 is the sixth of the
numbered treaties
The Numbered Treaties (or Post-Confederation Treaties) are a series of eleven treaties signed between the First Nations, one of three groups of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the reigning monarch of Canada (Victoria, Edward VII or George V) ...
that were signed by the
Canadian Crown
The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the founda ...
and various
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
between 1871 and 1877. It is one of a total of 11 numbered treaties signed between the Canadian Crown and First Nations. Specifically, Treaty 6 is an agreement between the Crown and the Plains and Woods
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
,
Assiniboine
The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakoda ...
, and other
band government
In Canada, an Indian band or band (french: bande indienne, link=no), sometimes referred to as a First Nation band (french: bande de la Première Nation, link=no) or simply a First Nation, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subjec ...
s at
Fort Carlton
Fort Carlton was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post from 1795 until 1885. It was located along the North Saskatchewan River not far from Duck Lake.
It is in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and was rebuilt by the government of Saska ...
and
Fort Pitt. Key figures, representing the Crown, involved in the negotiations were
Alexander Morris, Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories;
James McKay, The Minister of Agriculture for Manitoba; and W.J. Christie, the Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. Chief
Mistawasis
Mistawasis (; born Pierre Belanger) was a Chief of the Sak-kaw-wen-o-wak Plains Cree, notable for his role as the leader of his people during the signing of Treaty 6 in 1876, to which he was the first signatory. Due to the dwindling buffalo popu ...
and Chief
Ahtahkakoop
Ahtahkakoop ( Cree: ''Atāhkakohp'', "Starblanket")(c. 1816 – 1896) was a Chief of the House Cree (''Wāskahikaniwiyiniwak'') division of the Plains Cree, who led his people through the transition from hunter and warrior to farmer, and from trad ...
represented the Carlton Cree.
Treaty 6 included terms that had not been incorporated into Treaties 1 to 5, including a medicine chest at the house of the Indian agent on the reserve, protection from famine and pestilence, more agricultural implements, and on-reserve education. The area agreed upon by the Plains and Woods Cree represents most of the central area of the current provinces of
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
and
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
.
The treaty signings began on 18 August 1876 and ran until 9 September 1876. Additional adhesions, when bands within the Treaty area signed on, were signed later, including a Manitoba band in 1898, and, later that year, the last was signed in the
Montreal Lake area.
![7-Treaty 6 flag-2269-L](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/7-Treaty_6_flag-2269-L.jpg)
Since Treaty 6 has been signed, there have been many claims over miscommunication of the treaty terms from the Indigenous and the Crown's perspective. This misunderstanding has led to disagreements between the Indigenous peoples and the government over the different interpretations of the treaty terms.
Treaty 6 is still active today, and a Treaty 6 Recognition Day has been celebrated in Edmonton each August since 2013 to remember the signing in 1876.
Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations
In the spring of 1993, 17 Treaty 6 band governments in Alberta formed the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations to be the "united political voice" of the Treaty 6 First Nations.
The confederacy does not contain any bands from outside of Alberta.
On 6 July 2012, the
City of Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...
, represented by Mayor
Stephen Mandel
Stephen Mandel (born July 18, 1945) is a Canadian politician and leader of the Alberta Party from 2018 to 2019. He previously served as an Alberta cabinet minister from 2014 to 2015 and as mayor of Edmonton, Alberta for three terms from 2004 ...
, signed a partnership agreement with the Confederacy. This believed to be the first such agreement between a city in Alberta and a group of First Nations governments. Edmonton is within Treaty 6 territory and has the second-largest Indigenous population of any municipality in Canada.
The Confederacy signed a protocol agreement with the Government of Alberta and the ''Alberta-Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations Relationship Agreement'' in July 2022 which provides for quarterly meetings with the
minister of Indigenous relations and yearly meetings with the
premier of Alberta
The premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta, and the province's head of government. The current premier is Danielle Smith, leader of the United Conservative Party, who was sworn in on October 11, 2022.
The ...
.
the Confederacy includes 16 member bands, including all bands party to Treaty 6 with reserves in Alberta but two (the exceptions being the Saddle Lake Cree and the Onion Lake Cree Nation).
Grand chiefs of the Confederacy
The grand chief serves as the primary spokesperson for the Confederacy in the media and represents the member nations in certain political fora.
Grand chiefs serve a one-year term roughly corresponding to the calendar year, and can be re-appointed. They are generally already serving as chief of one of the 17 member nations; however, Littlechild was an exception, as he was not the chief of his own band at the time he was grand chief.
*2022:
George Arcand Jr.
George may refer to:
People
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Washington, First President of the United States
* George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...
(Chief of
Alexander First Nation
Alexander First Nation ( cr, Kipohtakaw / ᑭᐳᐦᑕᑲᐤ) is a First Nations band government, headquartered west of Morinville, Alberta. This First Nation is part of the Cree ethno-linguistic group, is a member of the Yellowhead Tribal Co ...
)
*2021: (interim)
Greg Desjarlais Greg is a masculine given name, and often a shortened form of the given name Gregory. Greg (more commonly spelled " Gregg") is also a surname.
People with the name
*Greg Abbott (disambiguation), multiple people
* Greg Abel (born 1961/1962), Canad ...
(Chief of
Frog Lake First Nations
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" '' Triadobatrachus'' is ...
)
*2021:
Vernon Watchmaker
Vernon may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Vernon County, New South Wales
Canada
*Vernon, British Columbia, a city
*Vernon, Ontario
France
* Vernon, Ardèche
*Vernon, Eure
United States
* Vernon, Alabama
* Vernon, Arizona
* Vernon, California
* ...
(Chief of
Kehewin Cree Nation
The Kehewin Cree Nation ( cr, ᑭᐦᐁᐤ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤ ᐊᐢᑭᐩ, kihêw nehiyaw askiy) is a First Nations band government in northern Alberta. A signatory to Treaty 6, it controls one Indian reserve, Kehewin 123
Kehewin 123 is an Indian ...
)
*2020:
William (Billy) Morin William Morin IV (Cree: *Nahtokitopi*: "Rides a Sacred Horse"; born 1987 or 1988) known as Billy Morin is a Canadian Cree First Nations leader and the elected Chief of Enoch Cree Nation since August 2015. He has built partnerships among Indigenous a ...
(Chief of
Enoch Cree Nation
The Enoch Cree Nation #440 ( cr, script=Cans, ᒪᐢᑫᑯᓯᐦᐠ, ) is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in Alberta, Canada. Members of the Nation are of Cree ancestry and speak the Plains Cree language, Plains Cree d ...
)
*2017, 2018, 2019:
Wilton Littlechild
J. Wilton Littlechild (born 1944), known as Willie Littlechild, is a Canadian lawyer and Cree chief who was Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and a member of Parliament (Canada), member of Parliament. A Canadian Indian ...
(not then sitting as a chief, but was a former
member of parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
and commissioner of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC; french: Commission de vérité et réconciliation du Canada []) was a truth and reconciliation commission active in Canada from 2008 to 2015, organized by the parties of the Indian Reside ...
)
*2016 (interim) Randy Ermineskin (Chief of
Ermineskin Cree Nation
Ermineskin Cree Nation also known as the Ermineskin Tribe ( cr, ᓀᔮᐢᑵᔮᕽ, ), is a Cree First Nations band government in Alberta, Canada. A signatory to Treaty 6, Ermineskin is one of the Four Nations of Maskwacis, Alberta's largest ...
)
*2016
Tony Alexis
Tony may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer
* Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
(Chief of
Alexis Nakota Sioux Alexis may refer to:
People Mononym
* Alexis (poet) ( – ), a Greek comic poet
* Alexis (sculptor), an ancient Greek artist who lived around the 3rd or 4th century BC
* Alexis (singer) (born 1968), German pop singer
* Alexis (comics) (1946–197 ...
)
*2015
Bernice Martial (Chief of
Cold Lake First Nations
The Cold Lake First Nations is a First Nations band government. This band is the governing body for people descended from several different historic groups, hence the plural, ''nations'', used in the band's name. In August 2019, there were 2,96 ...
, first woman grand chief)
*2014
Craig Makinaw __NOTOC__
Craig may refer to:
Geology
*Craig (landform), a rocky hill or mountain often having large casims or sharp intentations.
People (and fictional characters)
*Craig (surname)
*Craig (given name)
Places
Scotland
*Craig, Angus, aka Barony of ...
*2005
Eddy Makokis
Eddie or Eddy may refer to:
Science and technology
*Eddy (fluid dynamics), the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle
* Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Lin ...
Background
![Bison skull pile edit](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Bison_skull_pile_edit.jpg)
Treaty 6 was signed in August 1876 as an agreement between the
Canadian Crown
The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional federal structure and Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The monarchy is the founda ...
and the Plains and Woods
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
,
Assiniboine
The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakoda ...
, and other
band government
In Canada, an Indian band or band (french: bande indienne, link=no), sometimes referred to as a First Nation band (french: bande de la Première Nation, link=no) or simply a First Nation, is the basic unit of government for those peoples subjec ...
s at
Fort Carlton
Fort Carlton was a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post from 1795 until 1885. It was located along the North Saskatchewan River not far from Duck Lake.
It is in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and was rebuilt by the government of Saska ...
and
Fort Pitt. Signatories included
Alexander Morris,
Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories
This is a list of historical lieutenant-governors of North-West Territories, Canada. The position of Lieutenant-Governor lasted from the acquisition of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory in 1869 to the creation of Alberta and Saskatc ...
,
James McKay,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
's Minister of Agriculture, and
W.J. Christie WJ may refer to:
* Jeep Grand Cherokee (WJ), a generation of Jeep Grand Cherokee
* Air Labrador, based in Canada (IATA code WJ)
* West Jersey Railroad, a predecessor of the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad
* WestJet airlines
* Wiking-Jugend, a Ge ...
, Chief Factor of the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...
(HBC). Chief
Mistawasis
Mistawasis (; born Pierre Belanger) was a Chief of the Sak-kaw-wen-o-wak Plains Cree, notable for his role as the leader of his people during the signing of Treaty 6 in 1876, to which he was the first signatory. Due to the dwindling buffalo popu ...
and Chief
Ahtahkakoop
Ahtahkakoop ( Cree: ''Atāhkakohp'', "Starblanket")(c. 1816 – 1896) was a Chief of the House Cree (''Wāskahikaniwiyiniwak'') division of the Plains Cree, who led his people through the transition from hunter and warrior to farmer, and from trad ...
represented the Carlton Cree.
Colonel James Walker had also been instrumental in negotiating the treaty.
Prior to the near extinction of the
American bison or buffalo in the late nineteenth century as waves of non-Indigenous immigrants arrived on the
American frontier
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of United States territorial acquisitions, American expansion in mainland North Amer ...
, traditional
bison hunting
Bison hunting (hunting of the American bison, also commonly known as the American buffalo) was an activity fundamental to the economy and society of the Plains Indians peoples who inhabited the vast grasslands on the Interior Plains of Nor ...
was the way of life of the
Plains Indians
Plains Indians or Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies are the Native American tribes and First Nation band governments who have historically lived on the Interior Plains (the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies) of N ...
peoples, whose traditional lands spanned the North American
great bison belt
The great bison belt is a tract of rich grassland that ran from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico from around 9000 BC. The great bison belt was supported by spring and early summer rainfall that allowed short grasses to grow. These grasses retain the ...
. Bison were the cultural symbol of these tribes—providing food, clothing and shelter. By 1871, the Indigenous peoples from the northern plains of the
North-West Territories
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
(NWT), the
Cree
The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada ...
,
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains.
According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
and
Assiniboine
The Assiniboine or Assiniboin people ( when singular, Assiniboines / Assiniboins when plural; Ojibwe: ''Asiniibwaan'', "stone Sioux"; also in plural Assiniboine or Assiniboin), also known as the Hohe and known by the endonym Nakota (or Nakoda ...
, considered negotiating a treaty with the government to protect their traditional lands from settlers and HBC surveyors. By the 1870s, the population of the once-plentiful bison had decreased to the point that
tribal chief
A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom.
Tribe
The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia.
Tribal societies are sometimes categorized as ...
s, elders, and many of the people sought the Crown's protection to ward off starvation. They believed that a treaty with the government would guarantee assistance and prevent starvation.
The fear of smallpox, which had spread to the northern plains tribes during the
smallpox pandemic of 1870–1874
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) ce ...
, was another motivation for the chiefs to consider entering into a treaty with the Crown. The epidemic spread to the northern plains tribes, killing many of the Cree who had no immunity to this new disease. Because of emigration, smallpox had been introduced to America over the centuries. By 1873, thousands had caught the disease, hundreds, in eastern cities, such as Boston and New York and it had spread into Canada.
Previous smallpox epidemics brought by the emigrants to America included the
1837 Great Plains smallpox epidemic
The 1837 Great Plains smallpox epidemic spanned 1836 through 1840, but reached its height after the spring of 1837 when an American Fur Company steamboat, the S.S. ''St. Peter'', carried infected people and supplies into the Missouri Valley.''Ratio ...
that killed thousands of indigenous people along the Missouri River.
[''Rationalizing Epidemics: Meanings and Uses of American Indian Mortality Since 1600''; David S. Jones; Harvard University Press; 2004; Pg. 76][''The Effect of Smallpox on the Destiny of the Amerindian''; Esther Wagner Stearn, Allen Edwin Stearn; University of Minnesota; 1945; Pgs. 13-20, 73-94, 97]
Considering the sale of the NWT to Canada from the HBC, the Indigenous peoples were concerned about entering into a treaty with the Canadian government as they did not want their land to be taken over. As treaties made their way slowly towards the North-West, the pressures of the Indigenous peoples on the government to make treaties increased. Lieutenant Governor Alexander Morris proposed the government make a treaty in the west in 1872, but the suggestion was dismissed. The Cree were told by traders each year that a treaty would be made with them soon to discuss their concerns, but years passed, and the government made no effort to create a treaty. The government was uninterested in negotiating a treaty with the Indigenous peoples at the time, but as a result, the Cree stopped letting surveyors onto their territory and stopped telegraph workers from creating a line from
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
to
Fort Edmonton
Fort Edmonton (also named Edmonton House) was the name of a series of trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) from 1795 to 1914, all of which were located on the north banks of the North Saskatchewan River in what is now central Alberta, ...
. The events eventually caught the attention of the government, which did not want a war with the Indigenous peoples. It wanted immigration to the North-West to continue, and a war would certainly halt settlement. Thus began the negotiations for Treaty 6 at Fort Carlton.
Morris advised the government in 1872 to negotiate a treaty with the Indigenous peoples in the North-West. Many years later, he received authorization from the government to send the Reverend
George McDougall
George Millward McDougall (September 9, 1821 – January 25, 1876) was a Methodist missionary in Canada who assisted in negotiations leading to Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 between the Canadian government and the Indian tribes of western Canada. He was ...
to inform the Cree that a treaty would be negotiated at Fort Carlton and Fort Pitt during the summer of 1876. Morris was situated at Fort Garry and left on 27 July 1876 to make his way to Fort Carlton to negotiate a treaty with the Cree peoples. Morris was joined by W.J. Christie, Dr. Jackes, and was to meet James McKay at Fort Carlton. Morris and his team arrived at Fort Carlton on 15 August, and met with the chiefs of the Carlton Cree, Mistawasis and Ahtukukoop. On 18 August, negotiations began after attempting to include the Duck Lake Indigenous peoples in the treaty.
Terms
The government used the
Robinson Treaties
The Robinson Treaties are two Treaty, treaties signed between the Ojibwa chiefs and The Crown in 1850 in the Province of Canada. The first treaty involved Ojibwa chiefs along the north shore of Lake Superior, and is known as the Robinson Superior ...
as an outline for Treaty 6 and all the numbered treaties. The Indigenous peoples involved in the Robinson Treaties were given money plus additional annual payments. Reserves were identified and indigenous people were given the right to hunt and fish on the land they used to own unless the land was sold or occupied. However, despite the Robinson Treaties serving as an outline, the Indigenous peoples of Treaty 6 negotiated additional terms into their treaty which the government did not intend to include.
According to the settler version of history and terms of treaty making, First Nations gave up their
customary title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
to the land under
common law
In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresen ...
in exchange for provisions from the government. The First Nations understanding is radically different from the British version; in the oral histories, translations (for example there is no concept of "land ownership" or "cede", which follows from the concept of land ownership, in the Cree language), and British customs, there continues to be a controversy as to possible different understandings of the terms as they were used at the time of the treaty signings.
During the treaty negotiations, the Indigenous peoples requested for agricultural tools, animals such as an ox and a cow for each family, assistance for the poor and those unable to work, the ban of alcohol in the province of Saskatchewan, and education to be provided for each reserve. In addition, the Indigenous peoples asked to be able to change the location of their settlement before the land was surveyed, ability to take resources from Crown lands such as timber, cooking stoves, medicine, a hand mill, access to bridges, and in the event of war the ability to refuse to serve.
![Treatyno600](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Treatyno600.jpg)
In exchange, for Indigenous lands, the federal government agreed to set up certain areas as
"reserves" (i.e. protected from encroachment by white settlers). These lands no longer belong to the Indigenous peoples despite them living on it. The lands on which the Indigenous peoples lived, can be taken or sold by the government, but only with the consent of the natives peoples, or with compensation. In addition, the government promised to open schools for Indigenous children. Each reserve was to receive a school house, which would be built by the government. The idea of giving the Indigenous peoples an education was an attempt to help them become more successful in terms of communication with the settlers. It was also an attempt to help the Indigenous community understand how the Europeans lived, and to use their ways of living to help the Indigenous population thrive. However, education was optional on reserves for the beginning of the treaty. The federal government offered education if the Indigenous peoples should desire it, but it was not mandatory. Nevertheless, not long after the treaty was signed, Indigenous children were being forced to attend school despite the treaty stating that it was optional for children to attend. The sale of alcohol was also restricted on reserves.
The terms of Treaty 6 gave every family of five living on the reserve one square mile. Smaller families received land according to the size of their family. Each person immediately received and an additional $5 a year. A maximum of four chiefs and other officers per band would receive $15 each and a salary of $25 per year plus one horse, one harness, and one wagon or two carts. The Indigenous peoples also received a $1500 grant every year to spend on ammunition and twine in order to make fish nets. As well, each family was to be given an entire suite of agricultural tools including spades, harrows, scythes, whetstones, hay forks, reaping hooks, ploughs, axes, hoes, and several bags of seed. They were also to acquire a cross-cut saw, a hand saw, and a pit-saw, files, a grindstone, an auger, and a trunk of carpenter's tools. Additionally, they were to receive wheat, barley, potatoes, oats, as well as four oxen, a bull, six cows, two sows, and a hand-mill. These were all included in Treaty 6 so that the Indigenous peoples would use these tools to create a living for themselves.
Pipe ceremony
Religious practices are just as important to the Indigenous people as the serious discussions and decisions made. The pipe ceremony in the Indigenous community is something of sacred significance. It is associated with honour and pride and is conducted for both parties involved in an agreement to keep to their word. It is believed that the truth must only be told when the pipe is in attendance. The smoking of the pipe was conducted at the negotiations of Treaty 6 to symbolize that this treaty would be honoured forever by both the Indigenous peoples and the Crown. It was also to indicate that anything said between the negotiators of the Crown and the Indigenous peoples would be honoured as well. It was used at the beginning of the treaty negotiations as it was passed to Lieutenant Governor Alexander Morris who rubbed it a few times before passing it to other members of the Crown present. This ceremony was to display that the negotiators of the Crown accepted the friendship of the Indigenous peoples, which signalled the start of the negotiations. It is also the Indigenous way to signal the completion of an agreement between parties to guarantee each other's words. Due to the contrast of beliefs between the Indigenous and the Crown, the Crown did not see this ceremony as significant as the Indigenous people did. The negotiators of the Crown did not realize that this ceremony was of sacred importance to the Indigenous population which made their words and agreements mean much more to the Indigenous peoples than it did to the negotiators and the Crown. Spoken agreements to the Indigenous peoples have the same importance as written agreements do.
Miscommunication
![AlexanderMorris23](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/AlexanderMorris23.jpg)
The Government of Canada believes the terms of the treaty were written down clearly within the document, but in the oral traditions of the Indigenous peoples, they have a different understanding of the treaty terms. Although there were three interpreters presents at the negotiations for Treaty 6, two from the Crown and one from the Indigenous peoples, direct translation of words between English and Cree was not possible. Certain words in either language did not have a corresponding word in the opposite language. This meant that both groups did not understand each other fully as the concepts were changed due to the word changes between the languages. The Indigenous peoples had to especially rely on their interpreter because the document they were to sign was solely in English, giving them the disadvantage as the interpreter had to explain the words, meanings and concepts of the treaty text because the Cree could not speak or read English. The Indigenous peoples claim they accepted Treaty 6 because they were informed that the Crown did not want to buy their land, but instead borrow it. Another understanding was that the Indigenous peoples could choose the amount of land they wanted to retain, but surveyors came to set per person perimeters on the reserves which was seen as a violation of the treaty. Indigenous peoples thought the treaty would adapt due to the changing conditions such as the amount of currency, the drastic change in health services, and the more efficient agricultural tools which have been invented or modified to better suit the conditions of farming. However, the treaty terms have remained the same which have caused Indigenous peoples to believe the treaty terms should be re-evaluated to better suit the needs of Indigenous people today.
Alexander Morris emphasized that the Queen had sent him as she wanted peace within Canada, and for all her children to be happy and well taken care of. The Indigenous peoples were affected by this statement as women in their culture are seen as having a more important role than men. This belief is implemented into Indigenous people's political roles which is the reason why women do not negotiate as the land is seen as the women's, therefore if women do not negotiate then the land can never fully be surrendered. The reoccurring image of the Queen and her children was a main reason for the Indigenous peoples to sign Treaty 6. They believed the Queen, as a woman, was not taking away their land but only sharing it. The phrase "for as long as the sun shines and the waters flow" was used in ensuring that this treaty would last forever. The Crown interpreted the water to be the rivers and lakes, however the Indigenous peoples saw the water to mean the birth of a child and as long as children were being born then the treaty would remain.
Medicine Chest Clause
One of the selling points of the treaty was that a
medicine chest
A medicine chest is a container or cabinet for storing medicine. All ships governed by the regulations of the International Maritime Organization must have medical supplies and suitable storage for them such as refrigeration and locks.
In Cana ...
would be kept at the home of the
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government.
Background
The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...
for use by the people. Another of the selling points was the guarantee of assistance for
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...
or
pestilence relief.
The "medicine chest clause" has been interpreted by native leaders to mean that the federal government has an obligation to provide all forms of healthcare to First Nations people on an ongoing basis. In particular, the
Assembly of First Nations
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is an assembly of Canadian First Nations (Indian bands) represented by their chiefs. Established in 1982 and modelled on the United Nations General Assembly, it emerged from the National Indian Brotherhood, wh ...
considers the funding of the
Non-Insured Health Benefits program as one aspect of this responsibility.
List of Treaty 6 First Nations
*Alberta
**
Alexander First Nation
Alexander First Nation ( cr, Kipohtakaw / ᑭᐳᐦᑕᑲᐤ) is a First Nations band government, headquartered west of Morinville, Alberta. This First Nation is part of the Cree ethno-linguistic group, is a member of the Yellowhead Tribal Co ...
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Alexis First Nation
The Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation ( sto, Cade Wicashdabi) no. 437 is a Nakoda First Nation which reserves near Edmonton, Hinton, and Whitecourt, in the Canadian province of Alberta, and headquartered at 54° N and 114°, about west of Edmonton. T ...
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Beaver Lake Cree Nation
The Beaver Lake Cree Nation is a First Nations band government located northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, representing people of the Cree ethno-linguistic group in the area around Lac La Biche, Alberta, where the band office is currently located. ...
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Cold Lake First Nation
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Enoch Cree Nation
The Enoch Cree Nation #440 ( cr, script=Cans, ᒪᐢᑫᑯᓯᐦᐠ, ) is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in Alberta, Canada. Members of the Nation are of Cree ancestry and speak the Plains Cree language, Plains Cree d ...
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Ermineskin Cree Nation
Ermineskin Cree Nation also known as the Ermineskin Tribe ( cr, ᓀᔮᐢᑵᔮᕽ, ), is a Cree First Nations band government in Alberta, Canada. A signatory to Treaty 6, Ermineskin is one of the Four Nations of Maskwacis, Alberta's largest ...
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Frog Lake First Nation
The Frog Lake First Nation ( cr, ᐊᔨᑭᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, ayiki-sâkahikan ) is a First Nations band government in northern Alberta. A signatory to Treaty 6, it controls two Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve ...
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Heart Lake First Nation
The Heart Lake First Nation is a First Nations band government in northern Alberta. A signatory to Treaty 6, it controls two Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve (french: réserve indienne) is specified by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tr ...
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Kehewin Cree Nation
The Kehewin Cree Nation ( cr, ᑭᐦᐁᐤ ᓀᐦᐃᔭᐤ ᐊᐢᑭᐩ, kihêw nehiyaw askiy) is a First Nations band government in northern Alberta. A signatory to Treaty 6, it controls one Indian reserve, Kehewin 123
Kehewin 123 is an Indian ...
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Louis Bull Tribe
The Louis Bull Tribe ( cr, ᑭᓭ ᐸᑎᓇᕽ, kisipatnahk) is a First Nations band government in Alberta, Canada. One of the "four nations" of Maskwacis, it controls one Indian reserve, Louis Bull 138B, and shares ownership of another, Pigeon ...
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Michel First Nation
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Montana First Nation
The Montana First Nation ( cr, ᐊᑳᒥᕽ, ) is a First Nations band government in Alberta, Canada. It is a Treaty 6 government. Formerly the Montana Band of Indians, it is one of four First Nations in the area of Maskwacis.
Indian Reserves
T ...
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O'Chiese First Nation
The O'Chiese First Nation () is a Saulteaux First Nation in Alberta, Canada. The First Nation's homeland is the O'Chiese 203 Indian reserve, located approximately 52 km northwest of Rocky Mountain House. Also reserved is the O'Chiese Cemeter ...
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Papaschase The Papaschase ( from Cree ᐹᐦᐹᐢᒉᐢ (''Woodpecker'')) are a group of Cree people descended from Chief Papaschase's Band of the 19th century, who were a party to Treaty 6 with Canada. A modern-day group of Papaschase descendants are working ...
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Paul First Nation
The Paul First Nation, more commonly known as the Paul Band, is a First Nations band government based in Wabamun, Alberta of mixed Cree and Nakoda (Stoney) origin. They are party to Treaty Six and had the Buck Lake Indian Reserve 133C and Wab ...
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Saddle Lake Cree Nation
Saddle Lake Cree Nation ( cr, ᐅᓂᐦᒋᑭᐢᑿᐱᐏᓂᕽ, onihcikiskwapiwinihk) is a Plains Cree, First Nations community, located in the ''Amiskwacīwiyiniwak'' (" Beaver Hills") region of central Alberta, Canada. The Nation is a signator ...
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Samson First Nation
Samson Indian Reserve No. 137, also known as Samson No. 137 and Samson 137, and as the Samson Reserve, is an Indian reserve in Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada.
It is inhabited by members of the Samson Cree Nation and was established under the provisi ...
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Sunchild First Nation
The Sunchild First Nation is a Cree First Nation in Alberta, Canada part of Treaty 6, signed on May 25, 1944, under the leadership of Chief Louis Sunchild. The First Nation has one reserve, Sunchild 202. The reserve, in size, is located approxi ...
*Manitoba
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Marcel Colomb First Nation
Marcel Colomb First Nation (MCFN) ( cr, ᓇᒦᐏ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, namîwi-sâkahikan), Band #328, is a First Nations Band of approximately 449 Registered Swampy Cree (Maškēkowak / nēhinawak) and Rocky Cree (Asinīskāwiyiniwak) located in ...
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Mathias Colomb First Nation
The Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (MCCN) ( cr, ᐸᑲᑕᐚᑲᐣ, pukatawâkan) —also known as Mathias Colomb First Nation, Mathias Colomb (Cree) First Nation, and Pukatawagan/Mathias Colomb Cree Nation—is a remote First Nations community in ...
*Saskatchewan
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Ahtahkakoop First Nation
Ahtahkakoop First Nation ( cr, ᐊᑖᐦᑲᑯᐦᑊ ''atâhkakohp'', meaning ''Starblanket'', name of the first chief of the Band) is a Cree First Nation band government in Shell Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Ahtahkakoop First Nation governmen ...
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Beardy's and Okemasis First Nation
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Big Island Lake Cree Nation
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Big River First Nation
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Flying Dust First Nation
The Flying Dust First Nation ( cr, ᑳ ᐅᐦᐹᐘᐦᑳᐢᑕᕽ ''kâ-ohpâwahkâstahk'') is a Cree First Nation band government located adjacent to the city of Meadow Lake in Saskatchewan, Canada. Highway 55 goes through the band's reserve ...
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James Smith First Nation
The James Smith First Nation ( cr, ᓂᐦᑖᐏᑭᐦᒋᑲᓂᕽ ''nihtâwikihcikanihk'', meaning: ''at the place of good growth'') is a Plains Cree Indigenous band government whose reserve is north of Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada. James ...
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Lac La Ronge First Nation
The Lac La Ronge Indian Band ( cr, ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ, mistahi-sâkahikanihk) is a Woodland Cree First Nation in northern Saskatchewan, it is the largest Cree band government in Canada and the largest First Nation in Saskatch ...
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Little Pine First Nation
The Little Pine First Nation ( cr, ᒥᓇᐦᐃᑯᓯᕽ ''minahikosihk'') is a Plains Cree First Nations band government in Saskatchewan, Canada. Their reserves include:
* Little Pine 116
* Min-a-he-quo-sis 116A
* Min-a-he-quo-sis 116C
Littl ...
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Lucky Man First Nation
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Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation
Makwa Sahgaiehcan is a Cree First Nation band government in Loon Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada. Their reserve is northeast of Lloydminster. The English translation of "Makwa Sahgaiehcan" is from Plains Cree language
Plains Cree ( endonym: ) is ...
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Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation
Ministikwan Lake Cree Nation ( cr, ᒥᓂᐢᑎᑿᐣ, ministikwan)is a Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada. Their reserve
Reserve or reserves may refer to:
Places
* Reserve, Kansas, a US city
* Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated ...
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Mistawasis First Nation
Mistawasis (; born Pierre Belanger) was a Chief of the Sak-kaw-wen-o-wak Plains Cree, notable for his role as the leader of his people during the signing of Treaty 6 in 1876, to which he was the first signatory. Due to the dwindling buffalo popu ...
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Montreal Lake Cree Nation
The Montreal Lake Cree Nation ( cr, ᒨᓂᔮᐏ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ, môniyâwi-sâkahikanihk) is a Woodland Cree First Nation in northern Saskatchewan. The administrative centre of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation is located in the community of Mo ...
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Moosomin First Nation The Moosomin First Nation ( cr, ᒨᓱᒥᓂᕽ ''môsominihk'')Wolvengrey, Arok, editor. Cree: Words. Regina, University of Regina Press, 2001https://itwewina.altlab.app/word/m%C3%B4sominihk//ref> is a Cree First Nation band government in Cochin, ...
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Mosquito-Grizzly Bear's Head-Lean Man
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Muskeg Lake Cree Nation
The Muskeg Lake Cree Nation ( cr, script=Cans, ᒪᐢᑫᑯ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ, ) is a Cree First Nation band government in Marcelin, Saskatchewan, Canada.
The Muskeg Lake Cree Nation is affiliated with the Saskatoon Tribal Council, along with ...
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Muskoday First Nation
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One Arrow First Nation
One Arrow First Nation ( cr, ᑳ ᐯᔭᒁᐢᑯᓇᒼ ''kâ-pêyakwâskonam'') is a Cree First Nations band government in Bellevue, Saskatchewan, Canada. Its main reserve is located just south of Batoche near the South Saskatchewan River about ...
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Onion Lake Cree Nation
The Onion Lake Cree Nation ( cr, ᐑᐦᒉᑲᐢᑯᓰᐏᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ, wîhcêkaskosîwi-sâkahikanihk) is a Plains Cree First Nations band government in Canada, straddling the Alberta/Saskatchewan provincial border approximately no ...
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Pelican Lake First Nation
Pelican Lake First Nation ( cr, ᒐᐦᒐᐦᑭᐤ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ ''cahcahkiw-sâkahikanihk'', meaning: ''at the Pelican Lake'') is a member of the Federation of Saskatchewan First Nations, the body that represents 74 First Nations in Sask ...
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Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation (Rocky cr, ᐊᓯᓃᐢᑳᐏᑎᓂᐘᐠ, Asinîskâwitiniwak) is a Woodland Cree First Nation in northern Saskatchewan consisting of eight communities: Denare Beach (Amisk Lake), Deschambault Lake, Kinoosao, P ...
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Poundmaker Cree Nation
The Poundmaker Cree Nation ( cr, ᐲᐦᑐᑲᐦᐊᓇᐱᐏᔨᐣ, pîhtikwahânapiwiyin) is a Cree First Nations band government, whose reserve community is located near Cut Knife, Saskatchewan. It is a Treaty 6 nation, started by the famous Cree ...
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Red Pheasant First Nation
The Red Pheasant Cree Nation ( cr, ᒥᑭᓯᐘᒌᕽ, mikisiwacîhk) is a Plains Cree First Nations band government in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The band's sole reserve, Red Pheasant 108, is south of North Battleford.
History ...
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Saulteaux First Nation
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Sweetgrass First Nation
History
The Sweetgrass First Nation ( cr, ᐑᐦᑲᓱᑭᓭᔨᐣ, wîhkaso-kisêyin) is a Cree First Nation reserve in Cut Knife, Saskatchewan, Canada. Their territory is located 35 kilometers west of Battleford. The reserve was establishe ...
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Sturgeon Lake First Nation
The Sturgeon Lake First Nation ( cr, ᓇᒦᐏ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ, namîwi-sâkahikanihk) is a Cree First Nation band government in Saskatchewan, Canada. Its location is on the eastern shore of Sturgeon Lake about 30 km northwest of Prince ...
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Thunderchild First Nation Thunderchild First Nation is an independent Cree First Nations band government in Turtleford, Saskatchewan, Canada with no affiliation with any Tribal Council. It is located approximately 113 kilometers northwest of North Battleford. European sett ...
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Waterhen Lake First Nation
Waterhen Lake First Nation ( cr, ᓯᐦᑭᐦᑊ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᕽ ''sihkihp sâkahikanihk'') is a Cree First Nation band government located in northwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. As of October 2018 the total membership of the Waterhen Lake F ...
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Witchekan Lake First Nation
Timeline
See also
*
The Canadian Crown and Aboriginal peoples
The association between the Canadian Crown and Indigenous peoples in Canada stretches back to the first decisions between North American Indigenous peoples and European colonialists and, over centuries of interface, treaties were established c ...
*
Numbered Treaties
The Numbered Treaties (or Post-Confederation Treaties) are a series of eleven treaties signed between the First Nations, one of three groups of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the reigning monarch of Canada (Victoria, Edward VII or George V) ...
References
;Sources
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External links
The Making of Treaty 6 - Alberta Online EncyclopediaTreaty Texts: Treaty No. 6from the Government of Canada
Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treaty 06
Numbered Treaties
1876 treaties
Political history of Alberta
Political history of Saskatchewan
Political history of Manitoba
Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains
Events of National Historic Significance (Canada)